The next Android TV device is here, but it's only for developers

The ADT-2 is a gateway for developers to Android TV on Android P

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In a relatively light hardware year at Google I/O, the Mountain View-based company saved one announcement for its most hardcore of Android TV developers - a new device called the ADT-2 that will serve as a testbed for Android TV P, its upcoming version of Android TV.

The device doesn’t look like much with it’s almost original Chromecast-like exterior, but the latest additions to Android TV should allow even the most low-spec’d devices to enjoy solid playback and quick navigation.

That said, if it's the same device we saw in a report last month in an FCC Filing, the ADT-2 uses an Amilogic S905X processor with 2GB of RAM under the hood, and 8GB of eMMC storage for downloading apps and games.

The streaming dongle was introduced by the Director of Android TV, Sascha Prueter during the developer focused “What’s new on Android TV” breakout session, and while the vast majority of the talk focused on how code should be implemented in Android TV P, it did give a fair overview of some of the new features coming to Android TV in the near future.

Besides the performance enhancements, Google will include an autofill feature similar to what you’d find on Google’s search engine, plus suggested settings which uses previous settings from Android TV devices to setup your new Android TV, and suggested apps which recommends apps based on apps that you’ve used previously.

There’s also a new interface, which you can see pictured in the photo above.

ADT-2, the future of Android TV

While its name may sound strange, the ADT-2 is a sequel to the ADT-1 that Google unveiled during its 2014 keynote when it announced Android TV.

Like the original ADT-1, the ADT-2 will be made exclusively to developers who can apply for a test unit of their own via a Google Form located at: g.co/io/adt2-signup.

Disappointingly, Google was rumored to unveil a new consumer-facing Chromecast device alongside a game-streaming service codenamed 'Yeti' - even going as far as to mention “a new device” in the talk’s description - but it seems, for now, the best we’re going to get is the ADT-2.

The silver lining? Google has given a lot of thought to the next generation of Android TV devices and the ADT-2 is the ground-floor foundation.